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ADC

I love the old Walrus or 'shagbat'. It was the first British squadron-service aircraft to incorporate a fully-retractable main undercarriage, completely enclosed crew accommodation, and having an all-metal fuselage. In addition to its other firsts, as the Walrus was stressed to a level suitable for catapult-launching, rather surprisingly for such an ungainly-looking machine, it could be looped and bunted. However, in practice any water in the bilges would make its presence felt, so this usually discouraged the pilot from any future aerobatics on this type!

Another interesting point was that there where were positions for two pilots - although the aircraft typically flew with one pilot, there was a right-hand, co-pilot's seat. One of the more unusual characteristics of the aircraft was that the control column was not a fixed fitting in the usual way, but could be unplugged from either of two sockets at floor level. It became a habit for only one column to be in use; and when control was passed from the pilot to co-pilot or vice-versa, the control column would simply be unplugged and handed over.

LE

Well, looks like the Iranians are getting ever so slightly better with their shonky photo shop. At least it's not cloning bits of AKs and random boxes of U.S.-made commercial ammunition, or cloning rocket launchers this time.

Look at the shadows, look at the colouration on the missile, and look at the cockpit hood. Compare them with the colours and shadows of the background.

LE

Evade radar? 70 knots at 60 feet on a 50 horsepower Rotax, single open cockpit and about as stealthy as a branch of Halfords? Next thing you know they'll issue the poor sod with a Webley to scratch the paint on anything big dumb and slow enough to get in the way. Biggles would be proud.